furry companions

Scott and I have shared our journey's with several animals.

This Blue Point Siamese picked us. His name is Pussy Cat, aka PC, aka Pieces, and recently, aka Gray One. Scott and I got this cat in August 1997, our first fur-companion. We'd seen a segment on a local news show about animals needing adoption at the Nebraska Humane Society. A cute little black and white caught our eyes. Such a friendly, playful little boy. We decided to go see him.
Well, when we got there and they opened his cage, he wanted nothing to do with us! He seemed
sickly. A gray kitty, however, made a bee-line for us, and just covered us with purrs and nudges.
He made it pretty obvious we were the companions for HIM! When we got him home, he immediately
jumped out of his crate and settled in to his new abode. He soon made it clear that now that he
was home, the less we tried to interact with him the happier we'd all be! He did insist on getting
into bed with us. Now, as he nears his 8th year, he's mellowed, and is a very
friendly little cat. PC joined Travis and Savannah at the Rainbow Bridge
on 1/7/2006. We're going to miss this little fur-critter!

Scott and I moved to Council Bluffs in the summer of 1998. Soon after we got there, we adopted two little White German Shepherd puppies, Travis and his sister Savannah.
Travis was also known, along with Savannah as "Monsters" or just "Monster".
Until recently, White German Shepherds were not accepted as a breed by the American Kennel Club.
They are now considered a breed of their own, the American White Shepherd, also known as the
American-Canadian White Shepherd. Watching them grow up was such a joy and the two developed the
sweetest natures. They became watchdogs to our little family, though were really not aggressive
by nature. When danger was near, however, they could be a formidable team. In 2000, Travis began
exhibiting idiopathic epilepsy. For three years, we struggled to control the seizures with
Phenobarbitol and Potassium Bromide. In January, 2004, we lost our battle with this cursed
affliction. Travis went to wait for us at the Rainbow Bridge.

Savannah was Travis's sister, the other "Monster". She shared companionship with Pam. She was virtually inseparable from Pam, and helped Pam in her daily life. She also was a good sister to Travis, and often would keep him company during his post-ictal periods... those periods after seizures when Travis would be exhausted and disoriented. She also was a great
body-guard to Travis. When he was down and defenseless, no one but Scott, me, Pam and Gary could
approach him. The cats learned to stay away as did Lacy! Alas, she was also a very headstrong
girl, who wanted to wander. One night she got outside in the front yard without a leash, and dashed
in front of a car. Though not obviously injured, we later learned her bowels were perforated and
by the time we got her to the ER 12 miles away, she was very sick. In spite of the valiant efforts
of Omaha's finest ER Vets, Savannah preceded her brother to the Bridge.

There was no way Pam could live without the love of Savannah. We tried pretty hard to not add to our family, but in the end, she needed a new little puppy to give her happiness. And so, 3 and a half months after Savannah
left, Nicki joined our family from a shelter in Enid, Oklahoma. Nicki is Nicki ... sometimes Princess,
at other times she's "Squirt". This little rescue was just a little fuzz ball when she joined the
family. Such a little princess she has become. After Pam died in 2001, Scott and I agreed that we
must take Nicki in ourselves and so she has become a beloved pet... albeit one with numerous needs.
Pam didn't socialize Nicki too well... okay not at all. Nicki is just fine with Scott and I and Gary,
but anyone else makes her very uncomfortable. Lucky for us, her response is to run and
hide, not become aggressive. We tend to put her
in the back yard when company is around. But OH! How she loves to cuddle with us when we watch TV.

Pepsi is really Gary's cat. He's the same age as PC. He's also known as "Bubba" or "Black One". Unlike PC, Pepsi likes to escape to the great outdoors. Why "Pepsi"? He's black (like pepsi) and Gary's favorite beverage is ... uh, DUH! Pepsi!

This is Lacy, Pam's OTHER dog. She pretty much just hangs out with Gary, now that Pam is gone. Definitely, she's just Gary's dog.

Bosco is Gary's other cat. He's also known as "Damn Cat", "Dummy" or "Yellow One". He's yellow.
It pukes a lot. Has a thing against shoes. Doesn't like me. Or Scott. Except when Scott feeds
him. What else is there to say. 'Cept I DO like him in spite of himself!

And we also have black and brown squirrels in the yard and BATS!!!!! In our attic! We TEND not to
consider them companions, though.